“Okay.”
I turned away again.
Again, he pulled me back. “I’m trying to say I’m proud of you. Sorry it’s not coming out right.”
Joe wasn’t good with words. But as he pulled me into a hug, it didn’t matter. He was the only blood family who’d ever showed up for me, and his embrace meant as much as any brother.
I left the farm and drove Liliana home to Juana’s house. Locke, Orla, and Nash were already there, eating dinner.
Juana pushed me into a seat and slid a plate in front of me. “Eat. You look tired.”
Truth. But I was hungry too, and I spent enough time with Juana that she knew all my favourite things.
I inhaled a plate of spicy chicken and rice. Changed my clothes. Drank a beer and stole Hope from Locke to put her to bed.
When I came back, Locke had dozed off on the couch and Nash was outside on the phone.
The women were in the kitchen and I thought about going home, but my empty house was the last place I wanted to be, so I fell into my seat at the table, trying not to stare at Orla too much—a task far harder than building a stable block with my bare hands. This pregnant, she was mesmerising, and I honestly didn’t know how Locke and Nash got anything done.
She left the room to use the bathroom.
Juana kicked me under the table. “You never looked at me like that when I was eight months pregnant.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Really?”
I shrugged, pointing out the obvious. “Pregnant women are hot.”
“You don’t think I’m hot now?”
Warning bells went off in my head, the kind that let me know there were no right answers and only the truth would save me. “I think you’re beautiful, but pregnant or otherwise, I don’t want to bang anyone who isn’t my husband.”
Juana sighed, and I was almost positive it wasn’t because she was disappointed, but Nash came inside before she could speak and gave me a look that had me halfway to my feet.
“What is it?”
“Decoy and Mateo are coming home.”
“Something wrong with the rig?”
“Nah, Mats is chucking his guts up. Rubi’s gonna finish Bertha’s run.”
That was it. Nash didn’t know anything else. He slipped into the living room to wake up Locke.
I pulled out my phone. The message I’d sent Mateo from the farm was undelivered. I called him, but his phone was off.
Decoy.
I tapped out a message.
Embry:Is Mateo sick?
Decoy:yea, a bug or something. putting fuel in the rental then we’re heading home
Embry:How long will you be?
Decoy:6 hrs if the roads stay clear